canham



Max-ch10, 1964 E; F. CANHAM 3,124,252

SELF-EXTENSIBLE SHELF INSERT Filed Oct. 30, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 T 'VIII/AI/IIIV/IIA p w cA/VH/l M ATTORNEY March 10, 1964 E. F. CANHAM 3,124,252

I SELF-EXTENSIBLE SHELF INSERT I INVENTOR gm 24 KM ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,124,252 SELF-EXTENSIBLE SHELF INSERT Eugene F. Canham, 319 W. Pima Ave, Coolidge, Ariz. Filed on. 30, 1951, Ser. No. 148,444 1 Claim. (Cl. 211--43) This invention relates to an insert adapted to be applied to an unoccupied space of a shelf or rack for holding articles such as books or phonograph records, disposed on one or both sides thereof, in substantially upright positions to maintain such articles in a neat row or rows and to facilitate removal of individual articles from or application of articles to the shelf or rack.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an insert which is automatically extensible to fill spaces of difierent sizes and to maintain a constant pressure on the articles disposed on either side thereof.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view showing the selfextensible insert in an applied position on a bookshelf;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view, partly in vertical section, of the insert;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is an elevational view, on a reduced scale, looking toward an end of the insert, and

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 77 of FIGURE 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the selfextensible insert in its entirety and comprising the invention is designated generally 1% and includes two corresponding end members 11 and 12 and a lazy tongs unit 13 which is interposed therebetween and which constitutes the intermediate portion of the insert 10.

The end members 11 and 12 are identical so that a description of one will sufiice for both. Each end member includes an elongated upright shell or casing 14 having an outer wall 15, an inner wall 16, side walls 17, a top wall 18 and a bottom wall 19. The housing or casing 14 defines an elongated chamber 21) extending between the top wall 18 and bottom wall 19 and which is preferably of noncircular cross section, as seen in FIGURES 4 and 7, and of uniform cross sectional size.

The chamber 20 contains two elongated slide blocks 21 and 22 which are disposed in longitudinally spaced relation to one another, with the block 21 disposed above the block 22. The blocks 21 and 22 will have a relatively close fitting but free sliding engagement in the chamber 26. The inner Wall 16 is provided with two longitudinally extending elongated openings 23 and 24 which are longitudinally and laterally spaced relative to one another, as seen in FIGURE 3. The blocks 21 and 22 have ears or lugs 25 and 26, respectively, which extend outwardly through the openings 23 and 24, respectively, and which are slidably disposed therein for movement longitudinally of the casing 14.

A contractile coiled spring 27 is loosely disposed in the chamber 2% between the blocks 21 and 22 and has eyes or loops 28 at the ends thereof which are received in notches 23 which open outwardly of the adjacent ends of the blocks 21 and 22. The spring 27 is anchored to the blocks 21 and 22 by pins 30 which extend through said blocks, crosswise through the notches 29 and which pass through the loops or eyes 28. It will be readily obvious that the spring 27 urges the blocks 21 and 22 toward one another.

The bars 31 of the lazy tongs 13 are pivotally connected to one another in crossed relation by the intermediate pivot elements 32 and at their ends by the outer pivot elements 33. The two end bars 31, at one end of the lazy tongs 13, are pivotally connected by pivot elements 34 to the lugs 25 and 26 of member 11 and the other end bars 31 are connected in the same manner by additional pivot fastenings 34 to the lugs 25 and 26 of the other end member 12. The end bars 31 are disposed on inner sides of the lugs 25 and 26, as seen in FIGURES 4 and 7, so that the lazy tongs 13 is disposed in a plane coinciding with the centers of the end members 11 and 12.

The parts forming the casings 14 are preferably formed of plastic so that said parts may be connected together, as by heat sealing. The outer walls 15 can be applied after the slide blocks 21 and 22 and springs 27 are in place. The bars 31 are likewise preferably formed of plastic while the slide blocks 21 and 22 are preferably formed of nylon to insure free sliding movement thereof in the chambers 20. The springs 27 are preferably capable of exerting a one pound pull. The fiat outer walls 15 are preferably wider than the inner Walls 16, as seen in FIGURES 3, 4, 5 and 7.

The insert 10 is shown in FIGURE 1 in a fully retracted position occupying a space 35 above a shelf 36 between two rows of books 37 which are arranged thereon in upright positions. The tension of the springs 27 urges the blocks 21 and 2-2 of the end members 11 and 12 toward one another to urge the lazy tongs 13 toward an extended position, to thereby exert a pushing force against the two end members 11 and 12, tending to displace said end members away from one another, for holding the outer walls 15 thereof yieldably against the books located immediately on either side of the space 35. Consequently, if a book or books is removed from the shelf 36 the lazy tongs 13 will extend a distance equal to the thickness of the book or books thus removed to maintain the remaining books in a tight row or rows in an upright position to facilitate removing the books from the shelf or applying the books thereto and for maintaining the books in a neat orderly manner. Likewise, when a book or books is replaced on the shelf 36, assuming that the insert 16 is at least partially extended, as seen in FIGURE 2, said insert will be contracted thereby to reduce its over-all length in an amount equal to the thickness of the replaced book or books.

It will also be readily apparent that the insert 13 is equally well adapted for use with a shelf or rack holding phonograph records or any other items which are arranged in a row or rows in upright positions on a shelf or rack. It will also be apparent that the insert 1% may be applied to an end of a shelf or rack with one of its end walls 15 engaging an upright end wall of the rack or shelf.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A self-extensible insert adapted to occupy an otherwise unoccupied space of a shelf or rack for supporting articles thereon in upright positions, comprising a pair of end members and a lazy tongs comprised of bars interposed therebetween; each of said end members including an elongated casing having a longitudinally extending bore of noncircular cross section, a pair of elongated slide blocks of noncircular cross section having a relatively close fitting sliding engagement in said bore, said casing having an inner Wall provided with longitudinally spaced longitudinally extending slots communicating with said bore, ears projecting transversely from intermediate portions of said slide blocks and extending outwardly through and slidably engaging in said slots, means pivotally con meeting the free end of each of the bars at the ends of the lazy tongs to one of said ears and constituting the sole connection of the end member to the lazy tongs, and a contractile spring disposed in said bore and connected to adjacent ends of the slide blocks for urging said slide blocks toward one another for yieldably urging the lazy References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,507,094 Schoenborn Sept. 2, 1924 1,846,607 Nicholas Feb. 23, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 471,335 Germany Feb. 11, 1929 523,172 Great Britain July 8, 1940 

